The objective of this contest is to assess the holistic design of the dwelling unit from the scale of the site to the scale of the detail. Each entry will be evaluated based on its focus on off-site construction methodologies and the dwelling unit’s part to whole relationship within a larger development in a contextualized urban context. Each team will select a target to design around: New Construction, Addition or Renovation.

The objective of this contest is to assess the engineering and construction design and implementation with an overall focus on off-site methodologies. Teams will demonstrate a clear understanding and emphasis on manufacturing and fabrication in lieu of traditional stick-built techniques. This contest considers the holistic approach to engineering and construction that encompasses the design, fabrication, assembly, testing, performance, and disassembly of the dwelling unit. The topics of Energy Performance, Dwelling Functionality and Resource and Water Optimization will be handled in their respective contests as a result of the design and engineering approach.

The objective of this contest is to assess the intentional use of sustainable materials, the mitigation of harmful products, the supply chain of materials and the workforce, and the management of these processes. As the construction industry continues to adopt offsite strategies and as production moves into more stable indoor working environments, the introduction of assembly lines and cross-pollination with other manufacturing industries is becoming omnipresent. Teams should consider innovative technologies to coordinate inventory and materials from procurement and handling to finishing and final assembly.

Today’s homes are being asked to do more than ever as they are spaces for shelter, meals, learning, professional work, recreation, entertainment, and social gatherings. Each of the sub-contests evaluates the multi-faceted nature of our homes and how flexible and efficient use of space contributes to the well-being of residents throughout their lives.

The Innovation Contest considers how well teams demonstrate the capacity to go above and beyond existing boundaries to push the envelope of possibilities. Solving complex problems calls for creative thinking and stepping outside the box to envision and develop new solutions for designs, materials, and products for the homebuilding industry. The team that nails this contest shows that it has the vision, as well as the nuts and bolts understanding, for innovative thinking that can make a difference. Innovations can be strategies, methods, designs, processes, or technologies demonstrating new approaches to meet the challenges of the future and add to the value or enhance performance of the dwelling unit.

This contest addresses the real Energy Performance of the dwelling unit and its renewable power systems. This contest aims to address real world scenarios related to grid instability, natural disasters, and rising energy costs. The dwelling unit must be designed to as grid independent.

This contest addresses the water use of the dwelling unit and its ability to recycle and reuse its water. This contest aims to address real-world scenarios related to natural disasters and drought while educating the public on effective ways to conserve water.

The objective of this contest is to inspect and test different facets of each dwelling unit to verify that they function as intended and have been installed and configured per the construction documents. Dwelling unit systems, equipment, appliances, facilities, and electronics are examples of dwelling unit facets that require performance verification.

This contest assesses the project according to its affordability and viability. The Gateway Decathlon competition asks the question: Would the project work in real-life in the framework conditions of a defined and realistic socio-economic scenario and housing market? Furthermore, this contest is evaluated by determining to what extent the project or innovative parts of it can be a scalable blueprint for an off-site and resilient transition.

This contest evaluates each team’s demonstrated capacity to promote their skills, ideas, and designs through compelling communications and marketing strategies. The goal is to boost successful efforts that lead to near-term public and industry acceptance, adoption, and replication of these off-site prototype dwelling units. Each team must define in advance the intended regional market segment for their completed dwelling unit, including household composition, income level, and geographic location.